. >> dan dimicco is the c.e.o. of nucor, the biggest steelmaker in the united states, with 18 plants all across the country, including this one outside blytheville, arkansas, along the mississippi river. plant manager doug jellison told us nucor has revolutionized the way steel is made. so what is this stuff? >> it could be old barges. it could be from, you know, old buildings. this stuff is, like, you know, old barrels, or you'll see some wheels. >> instead of using expensive iron ore to make steel, nucor uses mostly scrap, anything with steel, like crushed cars or old washing machines. >> we are the largest recycler in north america. >> over the last five years, this plant, like the u.s. steel industry as a whole, saw its profits soar. by mid-2008, nucor had hit an all-time high. but then things changed overnight. just what? >> just off a cliff. >> you went from feast to famine like that? >> when the credit crisis hit, the water shut off. the flow of money shut off. it was like dominoes, boom boom boom boom boom